BAHAWALPUR: The Cholistan Development Authority has retrieved more than 1,100 acres state land from grabbers in Cholistan and action has been taken against 126 grabbers.

Authority Director Imam Baksh told Dawn on Monday that 357 people occupied 4,470 acres of the vast desert and of that 126 grabbers had been taken to task while the remaining grabbers had yet to be evicted. The operation was in full swing in the desert, and the land would be retrieved.

The land director said 94 illegal occupants had got stay orders from courts and they had occupied 2,430 acres altogether. He said the authority was pursuing legal action against them in courts.

DEMO: Several people, including women, protested on Monday at DPO Chowk at police’s failure to arrest the alleged killers of Rabia, who was allegedly poisoned by some of her relatives in a house inside Ahmedpuri Gate a few days ago.

They chanted slogans against Baghdadul Jadid police, whose officials assured the demonstrators of arresting the killers. The police booked eight people in the murder case, and of them Adeel and Abbas, deceased’s relatives, were nominated.

The motive behind the murder, according to the police, is one of the nominated suspects wanted to marry her and her refusal led to her murder.

Published in Dawn, October 16th, 2018